Success story: Laura Jackson | Say Yes To The Dress

Getting married is a stressful enough process, but when you’ve put yourself under pressure to lose a certain amount of weight for your big day, then that piles on even more strain.

Add to that being filmed in the process, and you can see why Cambridge Weight Plan slimmer-turned-Consultant, Laura Jackson (nee Heathcote) was determined to reach her goal in time to marry Dylan.

Laura, 29, of Congleton, Cheshire, took part in TLC’s hugely popular TV series, Say Yes to the Dress, which receives an average 14 million viewers per episode…not to mention those watching it in Australia and the USA.

Here, mother-of-four Laura, tells us why she said “yes to the dress” and about her weight-loss journey…

“I decided to start on Cambridge Weight Plan because I’d seen Lauren Goodger’s Instagram page about her weight-loss journey and could identify with her. I’d never heard of Cambridge Weight Plan before then.

“I have four children: William, nine, Gabriella, eight, and Elodie, four, from my first marriage and Mila, who is one, with Dylan.

“Being a mum meant I was always busy and I used to comfort eat all the time. I would reward myself with food, especially chocolate. I was depressed being the size I was.

“I went back on Plan six months after the birth of Mila and went on Sole Source to begin with. I had lost six stone by my wedding and now have lost almost seven.

“I used to be a presenter on QVC, selling things like jewellery and vacuum cleaning bags, and had TV acting jobs in the past, so being in front of the camera is something I am used to, but knowing I was going to be filmed after losing weight really inspired me!

“When we were filmed, my fiancé, Dylan, who is now my husband, was with me because I knew he would choose the right dress for me. He knew me at my biggest and has always been so supportive. And I’m not superstitious at all.

“They filmed me with the Cambridge Weight Plan ribbon around my waist and I talked about the diet. It was a real shop we went to – called Confetti & Lace in Essex – and there is no pressure on you at all to buy any of the dresses they ask you to try on.

“They put me in lots of tight ones and I was adamant I wasn’t going to try any to begin with, because I saw myself still as bigger than I really was. You could have put me in a bin bag and I would have thought that was best. But I trusted Dylan and was thrilled when I did ‘say yes to the dress’.

“When I found out I was going to be in the celebrity episode featuring Olivia Buckland, I couldn’t believe it! And I have spoken to her about it as we both have to tweet regularly throughout the show when it is first shown on Friday night.

“I know it will get lots more viewers than it already does because she is in it and I am going to be cringing watching myself in it, but I hope it is OK.

“They came to film our wedding too, which was on 7th April. It was a fantastic day, even though we had a cake disaster when the whole thing collapsed!

“I feel wonderful now I have lost so much weight and my self-esteem is sky high.”